Whisper and Karma
by yukari-sendoXlucia-nahashi
Summary: Kallen embarks on a journey not of her world. Her encounters cause her to think of herself in a new light. Code Geass and other animes included in this crossover. Loveless-like storyline. Please R & R, shojou-ai/yuri themes may be included.
1. Code Loveless

_**Chapter I: Code Loveless**_

Kallen had conflicting emotions about her situation within the Order of the Black Knights. Though the group had been formed recently, the publics views varied based upon the actions the group decided to take. They awaited Zero's signal outside of the Refrain warehouses, several of the members stating their opinions of Zero and his tactics, especially the way he could convince others.

A flash of green, and the Order of the Black Knights moved to position.

Kallen felt strangely at ease behind the controls of her Knightmare, and it was to her benefit. She didn't want to admit it outright, but there were times where she herself, perhaps the part of her that she deemed an Eleven,--no, Japanese--that wouldn't abide failure. Her emotions were suppressed under a cool demeanor and she urged herself to become comfortable.

Kallen shifted her shoulders once, watching the other Black Knights provide the initial fire, making a hole large enough for Kallen to burst through. Her eyes raced about as she flew inside, firing upon the dealers and pushers of Refrain. The men scattered, avoiding the hailfire of the mech, and Kallen maneuvered as if she were a rabbit outrunning a fox.

"This Knightmare truly is remarkable," She muttered to herself, shouldering through the lowering metal door into a darkened portion of the warehouse. Her eyes scanned the darkness around her, finding little to no trace of anyone at first. Kallen skidded to a halt and observed further. The night vision sensor clicked on automatically and she stood in awe of the many people around her.

"_Are these people... Elevens?" _She thought to herself, trying to assess whether they were the ones selling Refrain or merely people addicted to it. At heart, she pitied them. They were people wanting to relive their pasts, perhaps to make their lives better now that the Britannians had all but stripped away the freedoms of the Japanese people. In those times, Kallen knew, people were happy.

"_Happiness doesn't exist anymore."_ Kallen thought but her thoughts were sparked by a voice. A familiarity that caused her to stop and gaze downward. The voice was tender, one that had brought back fond memories... ones of her mother.

"Don't run," The woman said, clearly indulged by the drug. Kallen withheld her emotions, knowing that she had a mission to fulfill and vowed she would get through it regardless. The woman moved in front of the Knightmare, tripping over her own feet in her drug-induced state and Kallen reached out with the massive hand of the mech to catch her mother.

"_Why did I do that? Why did I stop her from falling?" _Kallen thought, the hands of the Knightmare frame cradling her mother. The woman babbled on, sparking more memories in Kallen's mind. "You're weak, so weak." Kallen said to herself, holding back tears.

She blamed Britannia, she blamed the men in her mothers life, she even blamed Refrain, which she knew was only the more recent problem facing her mother. She didn't want to admit it, but with her brother Naota dead, her mother had nowhere else to turn. Kallen couldn't accept the fate that had befallen her mother, to serve as a servant in her household with her father and step-mother.

Gunshots rang out, damaging the arm of Kallen's Knightmare, and she swore inwardly. _"Damn, the Night Police," _She immediately turned the mech out of the way, sparks flying as she wheeled through the warehouse, just remembering that she still had her mother in tow. She returned fire, shielding her mother as she lay limp in the hand of her Knightmare, cursing over and over in her head how something as insignificant as getting distracted by the ramblings of her mother could get her into a situation such as this.

Her weaponry was now damaged.

Kallen swore yet again and turned the corner, trying to outrun the frame behind her. She glanced down, spying her mother still in her metallic grasp. She wanted to drop her and keep going, but her heart pounded in her ears. She was thrown off ease as she felt the compassion welling up inside of her. Kallen couldn't fight the fact that no matter how much she claimed to hate her mother, she loved her and valued her enough to protect her.

The legs gave way.

Kallen and her Knightmare tumbled and she smacked her head hard against the sidepanel inside. She let out a wince through clenched teeth, her eyes opening slowly to observe her mother crawling to her knees. More gunshots rang out and Kallen shielded the body of her mother, instinctively with her Knightmare to keep her from harm. "R-run... fool..." Kallen whispered as she could feel the pounding of unconsciousness thudding like a hammer to a nail behind her eyes.

"I'm here. I'll always be with you Kallen. I'm with you."

Kallen winced, a tear rolling down her cheek as she fought back the urge to pass out. Memories and realizations came to her in a flash. Her mother stayed with her because she loved her no matter what. Kallen scolded herself for the times she mistreated her mother, just because she was an Ele--a Japanese woman.

The Night Police Knightmare loomed over Kallen as she struggled to fight back. Her head was thumping, and as she released her cables, dragging herself and the Night Police guard with her, she slammed into one of the storage bays. She took a final glance back, blinking once to stave off more tears but she could feel them flowing.

"That was great Kallen. You can become a Britannian. When that happens, you won't be bullied anymore. You can even make phone calls and travel as you please!"

Kallen murmured the last few words that her mother spoke to her... "travel... please..." and her vision darkened within an instant...

* * *

"_She can barely talk..." _A voice said. _"It'll take time for her to recover."_

"I'll change the world..." Kallen said, stirring in her sleep. "Mother and I will live in a normal world..." Even in her unconsciousness, Kallen could feel a warm hand upon hers, she could hear the reassuring words of her mother in her mind. Kallen wanted to weep, she wanted to embrace her mother but found the strength in her body totally lax.

"_Do your best, Kallen... my daughter."_

"I will do my best!" Kallen nodded and shed more tears, leaning up to embrace the figure that loomed over her. Her eyes opened, and she found herself looking up at a young man. Was it the true Zero? The face of Zero she wanted so badly to see? Her mind was aflutter with emotion and all she could bear was the fact she was not near her mother, and she desperately wanted to be.

"That is good to hear." The male spoke, Kallen sitting upright instantly, holding her head as the man pushed back her hair and helped support her. "Not so quickly now, you seem to have suffered a head injury."

Kallen winced and opened her eyes, observing before her a gray landscape. Truly it was surprising, but it wasn't where she wanted to be. Nothing around her stirred, and she remembered the place well enough: she was back in the warehouse. Or perhaps, as it were, she never left. "W-where...?"

"A void within a dimensional fault. A place separated from our world." The young man smiled, almost as if it were normal. "Closed space."

Kallen's head was reeling as she leaned forward slowly, her head finally ceasing its constant throbbing. She glanced around, not seeing any lifeforms. Her Knightmare: gone. The people within the warehouse earlier: disappeared. Was she dead? She thought she was for sure, at least until the man kept speaking to her.

"Forgive me, I have forgotten to introduce myself." The young man said, his closed eyes and smile throwing Kallen off just a bit. She wondered to herself if he was an angel, but was immediately reassured that he wasn't. "Koizumi Itsuki."

Kallen looked him over once more as he helped her stand up. He was tall, and she found him rather striking. Maybe it was because no one else was around, and he seemed to be so nonchalant about the situation they were in currently. "Kallen Stadtfeld. Are we...?"

"Dead? Heavens no. However it may have been an inevitable coincidence that you were brought into closed space. Not many human beings are able to cross the walls of closed space easily," Koizumi affirmed, that smile still never leaving his face. Kallen wondered how this guy, this young man perhaps the same age as her if not a year or so younger had already seen himself as "not human".

"This doesn't make sense." She looked around and took a few paces in either direction. "Were you in the warehouse when we arrived?"

Koizumi looked confused, the smile not completely fading from his face. "Who do you mean?"

Kallen didn't want to give out the name of the organization she was affiliated with, especially not after having given her name to a complete stranger. She had already made that mistake and forgot to use an alias. For all she knew, she was a prisoner of war. "Nothing... nevermind."

Koizumi shrugged and seemed to dismiss any such notion of Kallen stating she had arrived anywhere with anyone. His eyes opened slowly, revealing the amber colored irises and as they met with Kallen's own, she swore her heart stopped for just an instant. Was this man really not human?

"Ah, well. Perhaps you would care to walk with me, Kallen-san?" Koizumi offered, holding out his hand as if to usher Kallen down the winding passageways of the gloomy looking warehouse. She admitted to herself that she was scared, and she could also sense that this man, this Koizumi Itsuki, wouldn't do her any harm. It was something about his eyes...

She nodded and the two walked for a long time, turning corners and passing by abandoned objects that lay strewn about. Namely empty cartons of Refrain. Her eyes wandered, slowly reminiscing about her mother and her usage of the drug, and she wondered if Koizumi had ever taken part in it. She shook her head and staved off the thought instantly. _"He's much too young. But..."_

"Have you wondered why you're here, Kallen-san?" Koizumi asked, and his statement after the long silence caught Kallen off guard. She shook her head and paused, then nodded, feeling embarrassed that she didn't wonder where she was. Koizumi was silent again and Kallen wondered what was going on inside of his mind. "You see, there are... more worlds than just our own. In each of these worlds, lies a line."

Kallen didn't understand. "_Line?"_

Itsuki chuckled. "Forgive me, I'm not an expert on time travel." He allowed himself to let his short laugh recede before continuing. "Each line is dynamic, meaning that it could have one of several different outcomes. At least that is what my understanding has become."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Kallen asked, wanting there to be a point to the madness that was her leisurely stroll with Koizumi Itsuki, stranger from somewhere.

"Ah, forgive my rambling." He paused as they stopped near an intersection of the warehouse. "You come from another time Kallen-san, one different from my own. I am like you, I am... out of place." Koizumi's eyes remained shut and that smile, oh that smile of his just wouldn't go away.

"Are you saying I'm a time traveler? That I'm out of place? You haven't made sense since you started speaking, Itsuki." Kallen snapped and Itsuki remained unfazed by the outburst of the young woman. The two stared at each other a long while before Kallen looked away first, uncomfortable with the young man staring at her.

"Not at all. You're something more... unique."

"_Unique?" _She thought aloud.

"Yes. To put it plainly, you are possibly one of very few exceptions to what was thought to be a static rule among what are known as 'Fighters' and 'Sacrifices'. Although the terms are essentially what they mean, the dynamic nature of one such timeline has shifted to alter it in a way that their basic fundamental rules as to how they are governed has been completely changed."

Kallen blinked as she soaked in the information. "What do these Fighters and Sacrifices do exactly?"

"Fighters and Sacrifices are part of two-person units. From my understanding, Fighters act on behalf of the Sacrifice in battle. Sacrifices sustain the damage dealt to the Fighter during the course of battle. That is why they are called Sacrifices."

The two stood quiet for some time until Kallen spoke again. "And... which exception do I belong to?" Her mind raced yet again, she wanted to be home with her mother, her _real_ mother. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but upon a glance to her side, she saw the hole in which she shouldered through with her Knightmare just before she encountered her mother. Her eyes focused on the area and Koizumi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You Kallen-san, are a Sacrifice." He stated, and her heart nearly dropped. Was she to sustain damage from someone she didn't know? Was this Koizumi a Fighter or was he a Sacrifice too? Kallen swore to herself inwardly, wondering why she would be a Sacrifice instead of a Fighter.

She swatted his hand away. "Forget this. I'm leaving," Kallen began walking towards the large hole as Koizumi called after her.

"You can't go home, Kallen-san."

She paused and turned, her eyes almost tearing up at the thought of being unable to return home. "And what is stopping me?" She asked, her voice nearly cracking as Koizumi approached and pointed outside. At first, she saw nothing and wondered if she had read this Itsuki fellow wrong from the start. Then she noticed them: clear, massive beings nearly five times as tall as a Knightmare frame and obscenely powerful. They rampaged the outer area of the warehouse and Kallen stepped back into Koizumi, whose hands, soft yet firm, held her shoulders steady.

"Closed space is threatened. And unfortunately, while you have the ability to get home, and while I have the ability to get you home, it cannot be done easily. Closed space has connected more worlds than expected, and my colleagues and I are having a difficult time maintaining them."

Kallen closed her eyes, hoping it was a dream. She hoped to wake up in a hospital or perhaps even a military prison. Then she would know where she was. Yes, Kallen Statdfeld, member of the Order of Black Knights, threat to the Britannian Empire. She closed her eyes tight and when she opened them, she was still with Itsuki, in the same gray warehouse, alone.

Her voice caught in her throat.

"It is possible for you to go home, but it will be difficult. It will take up a lot of my energy, and to do so will put you at great risk." The silence between the two was only rivaled by the noise that went on outside. The thumping of the creatures, whatever they were, thudding against the ground and tearing their way across the landscape.

"What... must I do?" Kallen asked, clutching her hand to her chest. She was unsure what she had gotten into, but for some reason she didn't know if there was any true way out of it. Her eyes turned sharply and met with Koizumi's again, and this time she saw in his eyes a bit of compassion. Was it for her?

"I can answer you this: when you are removed from closed space, there is a chance you will not be in your own time. You may not even be familiar with the world around you. Initially, you will not be harmed in this process. But, as a Sacrifice--"

"I'll be at risk if the Fighter is in battle." Kallen interjected.

"Yes. But that will only happen once you and your Fighter Unit meet. Until then, you are safe." Koizumi explained, and Kallen wondered if she just avoided the one who would be her Fighter Unit that maybe she could get out of this alive. She pondered for some time before coming up with a question to quell her uneasy thoughts.

"And who is my Fighter unit?" She asked yet again, eager to leave this "closed space" and return to a world that seemed more... real.

Koizumi smiled again and Kallen frowned. "That, to quote from a close friend of mine is 'Classified Information'." Koizumi raised his finger as if to enunciate his point and Kallen folded her arms over her chest.

"Is there anything else I should know before I go?"

Itsuki nodded. "Yes. While the abnormalities last on every timeplane, it seems that should you fulfill an aspect of that time to where it is corrected, even to a minor extent, you will be returned here to closed space. It will be a brief return, and I may not be here to greet you when it happens, but rest assured that my colleagues and I will work hard to return you to your time, Kallen-san."

She nodded softly and contemplated her situation. Could she do this? She thought of it as a mission given to her by Zero. He had many strategies that could override the Britannian armies strategies, and even then, this Itsuki fellow strangely reminded her of Zero. He had an authoritative speech, yet Koizumi's was more gentile and docile, like that of one who was willing to help more than hurt. Before she knew it, she blinked and Koizumi was waving to her, and she swore his form was sparkling for a brief moment. She closed her eyes hoping to refocus but when she opened them, she was no longer inside the warehouse...

* * *

"_Koizumi-kun,"_ A voice called out as Kallen disappeared. Itsuki turned slowly to face a shadowed figure, one whose ambiguous form and nature was completely hidden among the gray planescape. The figure spoke in a condescending tone, and Koizumi knew who it was right away.

"Aoyagi-san, it's been some time." Itsuki replied flippantly. He placed a hand on his chin as if in thought, glancing into the shadows, his amber eyes gleaming in some non-existent light. He could sense the latent hostility in the young man's tone even though he had only spoken his name.

"_You told her an awful lot, Koizumi-kun. Perhaps too much." _The voice seemed to resonate in the empty warehouse as six shadowed forms merged with the mysterious figures own. Koizumi watched them carefully, contemplating his words in his mind as he thought of how Aoyagi would react.

"I told her what was necessary, Aoyagi-san. To be completely honest, I think bringing her into all of this could have adverse consequences for those she encounters." Koizumi paused and stared into the dark. _"Emotional_ consequences, Aoyagi-san. You know better than anyone how emotional ties can turn the tide of even the most well-thought out plans."

Aoyagi scoffed and turned sharply, the other six figures falling into a rank and file order. _"That girl doesn't know what she's fallen into, Koizumi-kun." _The figure turned his head and his cat-ears twitched almost as if to stifle any further conversation. _"Keep it that way from now on," _The figure walked away and the six figures seemed to linger on like a bad odor in the air for a moment before they too disappeared into the dark.

Koizumi sighed and returned to his simple, calm self, his eyes focused on the beings trouncing around outside of the warehouses. He held out his arms and hovered above the ground for a brief moment before returning to his esper form and flying out of the entryway courtesy of the Order of Black Knights...


	2. Goddess of the New World

**Author comment: Sorry it takes so long for me to write chapters. I am trying to stay accurate to certain aspects of the anime I have chosen for this fanfic, and if any of you would like to see any anime mentioned or brought into it, please leave them in the comments. Read and review please! It's my first attempt at writing fanfiction and I hope you all can enjoy it as much as I have. **

* * *

**_Chapter II: Goddess of the New World_**

Kallen observed the new surroundings and wondered to herself if she were home already. Maybe that was all just some strange dream she couldn't comprehend. Her eyes focused on the immediate area and she noted she was outside some form of school. _"This isn't Ashford Academy,"_ She thought to herself as she took note of her clothing. She cursed being taken away without a change of wardrobe, and she quickly looked for a place to hide.

Despite the broad daylight, she didn't see too many people around, and upon further note, they didn't seem to bear any resemblance to normal people she would encounter in the street. Kallen blinked taking in their looks and then she glanced around quickly, her head in a tailspin. "They're Japanese..." She said with the cracking tone of revelation in her voice. They walked around so freely, and there was no sign of the Britannians around.

She tread forward, getting a strange look or two from a student or faculty member, but she merely blushed and moved on. _"Are they really free? This is too real to be a dream." _She gathered her thoughts and remembered what Itsuki had said about other worlds and lines. Kallen sighed in frustration and she heard the ruffle of paper as he foot slid on the ground. Her gaze locked with a black notebook and she bent down to pick it up.

"'Death Note'?" She read aloud, flipping to the back cover to observe even more writing. "'This is a shinigami notebook. How to use: the human whose name is written in the notebook shall die.' What is this?" Kallen asked herself as she cradled the book to her chest, seeing several students being dismissed from their classes. She walked briskly down the street and continued to observe the book. _"This is silly,"_ She stated after stopping into a nearby cafe and asking to use the restroom. It was the only place she could have at least some privacy.

"'This note will not take effect unless the writer has the persons name and face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.'" Kallen scoffed in her mind and contemplated what exactly this notebook could be used for. Perhaps it was a list of war criminals used by the Britannians? No it was impossible. She wasn't in her own time, and Kallen understood that if this were a list of people to be killed, it wouldn't have any significance to her.

She continued to read, but stopped abruptly as she heard the restroom door open. She leaned against the stall door and listened intently, hearing the door lock beside her and she read to herself in her mind, having a seat in order to make herself seem less suspicious. _"'If the cause of death is written within forty seconds of writing the persons name, it will happen.'" _Kallen blinked and read it to herself again. _"This is insane, this can't actually work."_

"_'If the cause of death is not specified--'"_ Kallen's thoughts were cut off by the flushing of the toilet next door and she sighed a sigh of relief hearing the high heels of a woman clack on the way out of the stall. She heard the rush of water from the sink and the usage of the automated hand dryer. "'--the person will simply die of a heart attack.' A heart attack?" Kallen appeared more and more confused as she whispered other classifications of the note to herself. Namely that the specifications for the cause of death should be written within the next six minutes and forty seconds. "What an odd period of time..."

Kallen stood up and instinctively reached behind her to flush the commode. As it flushed, she set the notebook by the sink and washed her hands quickly, looking at the so-called "Death Note" that she happened to come across. Her thoughts raced as she wondered if this was some clever prank pulled on her by Itsuki. He surely seemed to have enough ways to make Kallen doubt herself, that she was certain of, despite only having met him once.

"_**Yeah it is kinda odd, ain't it?" **_A voice from behind her called out, causing Kallen to spin around sharply and drive her lower back into the sink. She gasped in brief pain as a dark being loomed over her, his cockeyed glare and blue skin taking her off-guard. Kallen gripped the sink as the notebook fell to the floor ad she stared into the literal eyes of death.

"W-wh-wha-what are you?!" She said aloud and the being scratched the back of his head, a deep chuckle resonating in his throat.

"_**Kukuku, I'm a shinigami." **_The monster proclaimed. Kallen stammered for a moment, hoping it was an illusion like those creatures Istuki had showed her in closed space. She closed her eyes and opened them quickly, wishing to be taken away to somewhere else. Unfortunately, the thing was still thare, his mouth gaping wide as his head tilted slowly to the side, leaving his neck at an awkward angle. He extended a long, slender finger and pointed to the notebook on the floor. **_"And that notebook belongs to me,"_**

Kallen stammered and picked up the book in a hurry and held it out towards the creature. She didn't want to anger something like this, especially when she had no means to defend herself. Maybe she could scream, or outrun it. As her mind ran through several scenarios, her hands trembled and the shinigami pushed the notebook back against Kallen's chest.

"_**Nah, it's your notebook for now, Kallen," **_The creature had said her name and Kallen felt her heart jump. She shivered visibly and looked to the dark notebook clutched in her arms as if it were a mother and child. She looked up and met the glare of the shinigami again as she opened her mouth, not entirely surprised that nothing came from her mouth.

"_**I am Ryuk, keeper of that notebook. Now that it's yours, we're bound together." **_Ryuk's finger traced the top of the notebook, which incidentally was close to Kallen's chin. She shuddered again and shook her head, hoping it was all a dream. Itsuki, Ryuk, all of it. The door to the restroom opened and a young woman walked inside, passing right behind Ryuk as if he weren't even there. She cast a sideways glance at Kallen and wondered what had startled the girl, and Ryuk could only chuckle.

Kallen screamed and ran from the restroom, notebook surprisingly in tow. She found herself being stared at by the few patrons in the cafe and she immediately felt embarrassed that she had made a scene. _"You're hallucinating, Kallen. Shinigami... haha... right?" _Kallen looked around and the young girl who had entered the restroom earlier was standing with a tray and notepad in hand.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

Kallen jumped again, having been broken from her thought processes and nodded slowly. "Yes, I've just had one of those days, you know?" She was surprised the girl nodded and Kallen knew that no matter what this girl had been agreeing with, noting would quite be like _this. _The girl had a smile on her face and held up the notepad to take Kallen's order. Noticing this, Kallen spoke again, but off-topic.

"You saw it right?" She asked, hoping she wasn't crazy. The girl arched her eyebrow curiously and shook her head, wondering what it was she was supposed to see. Her eyes ran to the table and spotted the notebook. Immediately she put two and two together and smiled.

"You're a student studying for entrance exams right? It's okay, I saw you run out and I thought maybe the stress had gotten to you." The girl smiled yet again and wrote something down on her notepad. "I'll get you a glass of tea, on me. It'll help you relax," Before she could object, the girl was already scampering away. Kallen sighed and nodded inwardly, hoping that perhaps the tea could calm her nerves. Her thoughts jinxed the matter and leaning alongside the booth was the same dark form of Ryuk hovering over her.

"_**You know, you're supposed to write names in that thing,"**_ Ryuk said as he peered over Kallen's shoulder. She couldn't help but shudder at the thought of using a notebook to kill someone, and even that thought, as absurd as it seemed, made her twinge. Lost in thought, she gazed up at a television just above the bar of the cafe. Her eyes squinted softly as she focused on the breaking news that had enveloped.

"_-...had been apprehended today on three counts of robbery and two counts of first-degree murder.-" _Kallen's eyes scanned the mugshot as well as the name of the man at the bottom of the screen as Ryuk chuckled. Her eyes shot to him almost immediately, but the waitress returned with the cup of tea. Kallen nodded a shaky "thank you" as they both focused on the television.

"Sad isn't it? I heard that it had been a case that was in and out of the courts for the longest time. It looks like he's going to walk free. I really pity the family. It's almost as if their time was up..." The waitress smiled back at Kallen as the unseen shinigami chuckled. Kallen clenched the cup and took a slow sip, the waitress leaving to tend another table.

"Ryuk," Kallen spoke softly, looking around to make sure no one was listening to her or watching her closely. The shinigami hummed in response and looked down at her as she hid her mouth with her hand. "If I write a name in this book, they'll die?"

"_**Yep."**_

"Any name? As long as I have a name and a face?"

"_**You got it."**_

Kallen took the notebook in hand and searched for a pen or pencil of some sort. She eyed the waitress as she passed and cleared her throat, a smile crossing her face as she flipped to an empty page in the notebook. "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to have a pen I could borrow for a moment would you? I have--" She paused and looked to the Death Note, her eyes moving back to the waitress with Ryuk in her peripheral. "--some work to start."

The waitress nodded and checked her apron for an extra pen, setting it in Kallen's outstretched hand. "I don't need it back, I've got plenty." The waitress smiled again. "Good luck, miss." Kallen nodded and watched the waitress walk away.

"_**You can't kill her, you don't even know her name, kuku." **_Ryuk chuckled as he watched Kallen write a name in the book: the name of the man announced on the television. The shinigami chuckled again and Kallen shut the notebook, setting the pen behind her ear. He didn't bother to wonder why she chose to kill that man, maybe it was convenience. Ryuk didn't care.

Kallen stared at her tea and chose not to partake anymore. "So what happens now?" She asked in a hushed tone, curious as to why she had stumbled upon such a foolish item. Kallen couldn't understand what made her the one so capable of wielding it.

"_**Why are you asking me? It's your notebook." **_Ryuk said dismissively and Kallen stood slowly from the table, feeling horrible that she couldn't have left the waitress a tip of some kind. She held her arms tight against her body, the Death Note bound within them. Kallen left the cafe and roamed the streets for some time, wondering why she was the only one able to see Ryuk and others couldn't. She turned her head slowly, spying the shinigami and its raven-black wings flapping above her.

"Hey, no one else can see you right?" Kallen said under her breath and Ryuk hummed in thought as Kallen continued. "Why me, of all people?"

Ryuk burst into uncontrollable laughter and held his sides. The laughter continued for some time afterward as Kallen cringed at the grotesque chuckles the shinigami allowed to exit his throat. When it stopped a few blocks down, Ryuk finally was able to answer. _**"I was bored."**_ Kallen blinked and shook her head in disbelief. A god of death? Bored? She continued her stroll, deep in thought unable to comprehend the matters at hand.

Passing the police station, she heard the wail of ambulance sirens as a police tapeline had been set up. Kallen's curiosity got the better of her as she peered over a few onlookers to catch the slightest glance of the man whose name she had written in the Death Note. The white sheet was pulled over his head and she felt her heart jump into her throat. She gagged in surprise and held her collar in order to breathe. Ryuk chuckled.

"_**Isn't that funny? You got to see him before they put him in the ground. Kuku, nice job Kallen."**_ She wanted to swing around and strike Ryuk with all of her might but she couldn't believe it. She listened close to the policemen who were speaking to their chief. _"...thought he was asleep..." _Was all Kallen caught and she shook her head, sprinting from the crowd and Ryuk followed still.

"_I... I killed that man... but why do I feel like this? It isn't a terrible feeling... it's the same feeling I get when I'm behind the controls of my knightmare frame." _Kallen could feel her heartbeat slow down to her natural calm as she neared an alleyway and slumped down. Ryuk loomed over her again and cocked his head to the side.

"Ryuk, I don't know why I'm telling you this," She began and Ryuk hummed in confusion. Kallen wasn't stupid, and over the short course of time together, she tried to make sense of the situation at hand. _"Itsuki told me that certain things in the timeline need to be done, is this... my Fighter Unit?" _She turned her eyes up to Ryuk and feigned a kind smile. "But I'm not from your time..."

The shinigami barreled into uproarious laughter and held his sides. _**"That's a good one. Next you'll tell me that we were destined to meet in the crossroads of life! KUKUKU!"**_

"Something like that." Kallen stated and Ryuk hushed and his complete attention was on her now. She hated the way his face looked, like some kind of victim of nuclear fallout or something strange like that. "Let's just say, that despite the things I know I have to do to get home..." She cradled the notebook again and smiled. "I finally have a way to make those Britannians pay for what they've done."

She stood up and held the notebook in her hand, looking around. Kallen didn't care if Ryuk believed her or not in regards to being from another time, but even so, she had found her Fighter Unit. She didn't feel any special connection with him, outside of the notebook at least, but Kallen didn't know how she was supposed to feel around him anyway. Ryuk was strange and gave her the creeps.

Kallen stopped mid-stride and swore aloud. _"Why haven't I been sent back yet? What is there left to do?" _Strangely enough she turned back to Ryuk hoping he had an answer, but he seemed busy plucking an apple from a nearby tree. _"Odd."_ Kallen thought as she thought more on her current situation. As far as she was concerned, if she had met her Fighter Unit, she should have been sent back to Itsuki and then somewhere else. But there was that feeling... that gut feeling that this was far from over...

"_**So where do ya live?"**_ Ryuk asked and Kallen was barely broken from her concentration. She turned slowly to face the shinigami who had the apple by the stem and was eating around the core.

"Hm?"

"_**I said: 'where do you live?'" **_Kallen was dumbfounded because her situation seemed rather unique. She theorized that because she would be sent to other worlds, there was the chance she would need to acquire some form of residence, or on a better note, blend in. She had nothing identifying her as a citizen or a student, and she had no residence to speak of. This shinigami Ryuk surely knew how to get Kallen's brain working.

"I... don't have a place to live." She stated, and Ryuk chuckled again.

"_**More of this time traveler junk? This joke's getting old Kallen."**_

"It's no joke Ryuk. I really don't have a place to stay." This was a problem. If she didn't have a place to stay, even temporarily, how would she survive? Ryuk was her Fighter Unit, and after finding him she wondered how long she had left to live if he were to be harmed in battle. He was directly linked to her... by the notebook.

Ryuk chuckled. _**"Kukuku, Kallen you should get a job. Preferably one that lets you make use of that book," **_Again the thin, dark fingers of the shinigami outstretched and touched the book itself. Kallen eyed him for a moment and scowled.

"Why? I've only used it once. Shinigami... are you going to send me to hell?" She asked, hoping the answer would come. Was a Fighter allowed to kill its Sacrifice?

"_**Nah, that wouldn't be any fun at all. Besides Kallen, you've used the book once... heaven and hell are far from your reach now, kukuku." **_

Kallen blinked and found herself cradling the notebook. Was it that comforting to her? This strange power she possessed, she was reluctant to use it. Her eyes trailed back the way she had walked, still able to hear the faint wails of sirens outside of the police station. If she used it, perhaps to kill those like the Britannians. Murders? Yes murderers. Most murderers would be sentenced to death if they were convicted anyway. That would work, as long as she and Ryuk came to no harm. Besides, being suspected of murder when a victim died of a heart attack was completely asinine.

But Ryuk had a point. She would need to get a job. As crazy as it sounded, even if she were to make use of the notebook, she would need to keep up with the news. Kallen thought to herself quickly of jobs she was qualified for, but who would hire someone without identification? She turned yet again to see she had rounded the block while pacing in silent thought, and in the distance, the same cafe she entered when she met Ryuk.

"_That's it! I can see if they'll hire me. I can make tea, or even bus tables if needed. Unless I have a way to access the news, and tabloid articles with the money I earn, this notebook is useless and I have forfeited my chance to go to heaven for nothing," _Clearly she regretted giving into temptation because of the shinigami Ryuk, but it was far too late to turn back now. Picking up speed, she managed to rush up to the cafe entrance just as the same waitress was leaving for the day.

"Oh you again? Hello!" The girl smiled and slung her backpack over her shoulder. _"So this girl is actually a student?"_ Kallen smiled in return and looked to the now closed cafe. She sighed in frustration and the girl patted Kallen on the shoulder, giving her a confused look.

"I was just going to ask if there was any way to apply," Kallen murmured and the girl smiled again.

"I can talk to my manager if you really are hard up for money." The girl said kindly, and Kallen wondered why a girl could be so kind. Waitressing had to be difficult, especially on those who had to put on a happy face. This girl may have been excessively happy. "Do you live near here? It's quite a commute with the traffic,"

Kallen shook her head and pondered her words carefully. "I came from far away," And again she heard Ryuk chuckle. Maybe she was glad the girl couldn't see him, because she would run away screaming. Kallen wished she could follow suit if it happened.

"Oh? But you're attending the university too aren't you? Do you have a place to stay?" Full of questions this girl was, and Kallen shook her head as the girl stifled a gasp. She took Kallen by the shoulders and looked into her eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time. Kallen inclined her head backward to avoid much of the closeness. The girl smiled wide and Kallen grew even more confused. "Stay with me then!"

Kallen blinked. "Um, I wouldn't want to impo--"

"Not at all!" The girl interjected and took Kallen by the arm, dragging her down the street gathering little protest from Kallen. If she needed a place to stay, she surely wasn't going to turn down the hospitality of someone willing to help. Not now anyway...

After arriving at the apartment, Kallen sat down and had some tea and ramen with the young girl. She learned her name was Rie Kusanagi who was working at the cafe in order to pay for school. Rie made a phonecall to her manager who eagerly accepted Kallen's proposal to work at the cafe and expected to see her the next day. Afterwards the two girls shared some smalltalk and shortly after Rie went to sleep, Kallen sat awake with Ryuk, clutching her knees to her chest as she sat on the mat in the living room.

"_**Well, looks like you've got your bases covered," **_Ryuk said, following Kallen's eyes to the door of Rie's room. _The girl told her name so willingly._ Kallen thought. But of course Rie didn't know that Kallen had the power to kill people by writing their names down in a notebook. This notebook, Kallen decided, would be the tool to stop the Britannians in her own time. It would stop the needless killing of Elevens and innocents caught in crossfire. With it, she could serve beside Zero instead of under him.

"Not quite Ryuk." Kallen said, looking to the television. Slowly she turned the knob and watched the screen flicker to life. Turning the volume down to something slightly more audible than a whisper, she watched the news channels. She watched them and wrote...

* * *

The next few weeks were easy, Kallen learned to take down customers orders, and even managed to get a normal set of clothes as opposed to her normal fighting clothes. Rie's sizes were a bit small in some areas, notably the hips and bust, but Kallen managed. On her breaks, she would observe the news channels and keep an eye out for any murderers being broadcast. She herself was a murderer, but the hypocrisy of her situation made it essential. As soon as a name was released along with a mugshot, Kallen would write down the name hastily and watch the clock to ensure her break wasn't going over.

Then it happened all at once, and Kallen thought her world would crash down.

"_-We interrupt your programming to bring you an important message from the ICPO: this is being broadcast all over the world. Japanese voiceover is provided by translator Yoshio Anderson.-"_

Kallen turned her eyes to the television in the bar area of the cafe, as did all of the other patrons and workers. Each had a confused look and Kallen had a gut feeling something was wrong.

"_-My name is Lind L. Taylor, widely known as 'L'.-"_

Everyone broke into chatter and Kallen wanted to listen more. She looked to the manager as he turned up the volume in understanding. _"Who is this?" _Kallen thought to herself, wondering if he was some kind of celebrity she should have known about.

"_-To the perpetrator of these serial murders, you have committed the most abominable act in history. I will personally catch the one behind it... 'Kira' at any cost."_

"Kira?" Kallen said aloud and Rie nudged her, showing her a tabloid. People were talking about the criminals dying of heart attacks, and making it known that those who were committing crimes were being punished by some killer. Or Kira.

"_**Guess that's you Kallen. Nice name."**_

She wanted to shush the shinigami by throwing her tray at him but resisted the urge as she faked reading the pages as she listened to the broadcast. _"-Kira, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to do and why you're doing it, but what you're doing is EVIL!-"_

Kallen stifled a gasp as she inched towards a customers table. She had learned if she was to keep the notebook out of sight and touch of Rie, she needed to remove a page or two. In her apron, she kept at least one small sheet the size of her notepad. Removing it, she took down the order of the customer, something like a small coffee, black. In reality, she was writing the name "Lind L Taylor". The countdown began.

"_...38 ...39... 40." _She counted in her head and suddenly Taylor spasmed and clutched his heart, slumping over dead. Several technicians and assistants at the television station rushed to his aid. _"He was an unwelcome obstacle. If I were to be found out, I'd--"_

"_-Unbelievable,-" _A voice came from the television. Kallen spun around and faced the set playing it off as if she were getting the order ready. _"-I did this on the off-chance that you would kill 'me'. You can kill without being nearby... it's true after all. I don't think I would have believed it if I hadn't have witnessed it. The person you killed Kira, was a prisoner who was sentenced to be executed today. He was imprisoned without any media attention, so you didn't even know who he was."_

Kallen clenched her fist on the notepad with the name written on it and threw it into the trash. Why was she so angry? It's not like she hadn't spent the last few days writing names in the Death Note. Or maybe that was it, perhaps using the notebook was driving her mad. She had to get out, out and away from this. This "L" person would catch her for sure, especially when she had no identification to verify she was a resident.

"_-I, L, am real Kira. So why don't you kill me?!-" _Oh how Kallen wanted to. This stranger who challenged her, if she were inside of her Knightmare frame she would have no trouble taking him out were he Britannian. The man she killed, that Taylor, looked Britannian and was serving this L. If anything, L was more akin to being a Britannian in this time than anyone. The voice on the television, represented only by a stylized L, likely done with calligraphy, continued to challenge her before calming down.

"_-It seems you can't kill me after all. So there are people you can't kill. Thanks for the hint. However let me tell you something in return,-" _Kallen listened closely, hoping to plan her next move based on what would be divulged to her and the population of the surrounding area. _"-This was not a worldwide broadcast. In fact it was really only being shown in the Kanto area of Japan. I was planning on broadcasting to other prefectures, but that is unnecessary now because I know where you are.-"_

Kallen listened closely and Ryuk continued to chuckle. **_"This guy's pretty good huh, Kallen?"_**

"_-The police may have missed this, but your first victim was a murderer in Shinjuku. Compared to the others who have died tis way, he seems insignificant. Luckily enough, only the Japanese media reported that incident. This was the clue I needed. I know you are in Japan, Kira. Now, it is not far from the day you die... I'll figure out your killing method when I catch you. I will hunt you down and destroy you!-"_

Kallen couldn't listen to anymore as she shakily carried her tray back to the waiting customers. Ryuk stumbled along behind her as the manager wiped his forehead. Kallen never understood how close she came to removing a permanent stitch in her side, and this dream of hers, if it was even remotely a dream anymore, was far from over. Walking into the back room, Kallen threw down her tray and sulked.

"Ryuk... we have to leave Shinjuku. L is too much of a threat if I can't see his face or know his name." Kallen stated, thumbing over the second ripped page from the notebook. Something about the situation seemed right. Was she supposed to confront L? Did Ryuk know something she didn't? Kallen didn't care anymore. She moved to her locker and began to remove her belongings, packing up what money she had and the spare key to Rie's apartment.

"Kallen? Are you going home?" Rie asked. Kallen nearly jumped and nodded.

"I'm not feeling well Rie, and we aren't busy especially after this Kira business," Kallen lied through her teeth and the girl nodded in response, smiling still despite what had happened moments ago on television.

"Okay, see you at home later then." Rie said and got back to work. Kallen sighed inwardly and shook her head. She wasn't coming back. She had to go, and go far far away. She had enough money and checking the schedule, she found that she could get as far as Aoyama. She'd take the next train and get there as soon as possible.

Why was she running? Kallen's footsteps echoed hard after leaving Rie's apartment, and something told her that where she was going, the train station, that was the right direction. A gut feeling told her so. Ryuk didn't struggle to keep up, but he found Kallen to be a most interesting owner of the Death Note. The notebook under her arm, Kallen reached the station in time to purchase a ticket and board the train before it left. Regardless of what happened now, she had to get away. If she got captured or killed in this time, how could she help those in her own?

The train ride was long and boring, no one was even in the passenger car she was riding in. Only her, and the shinigami. "Ryuk, what do you make of this?" Kallen asked, curious to hear his response. The shinigami hummed and held his head at an awkward angle. "This whole L/Kira thing..."

"_**I still like the name. It suits you... Kallen Kira Kallen Kira...kukuku."**_

Kallen threw the notebook at Ryuk as he caught it and chuckled once again. "Not what I meant. I can't risk being caught Ryuk, not at all. Not only am I an illegal in terms of having no identification, but I'm also wanted for murder."

Ryuk pondered as the train came to a stop. His eyes widened slightly as he let out a gasp of surprise, as the train doors opened and a young woman with dark hair and glasses boarded the train. She and Kallen met glances if only for a brief moment before the girl pounced on top of her, knocking her flat to the ground.

"It's you its really you! Is has to be! Rem look who it is! It's Kira-san!" The girl squealed with delight and Kallen pushed the eccentric girl off of her. The girl had to be a year or two older than Kallen, but physical maturity meant nothing to her when it came to mental maturity.

Ryuk smirked as he and Rem exchanged glances as the girl removed the dark wig and showed off her blond locks. Sure she was pretty, in fact she was a pop star in her own time. Kallen didn't recognize the girl as Misa Amane because she did not possess the shinigami eyes, something Ryuk never mentioned.

"Kallen Kozuki? Is that right?" Misa asked, having effectively straddled and pinned Kallen to the floor of the train. Kallen didn't quite understand what had just happened, or why this girl knew who she was. More notably, this girl knew her birth name and not the name she had gone by.

"How did you know my name?" Kallen said, pushing Misa off of her rather forcefully, and the blond landed on her bottom, showing a slight sign of pain as she rubbed the area tenderly.

"Oh, so you don't have the eyes? Its something the shinigami offer to humans, but people who have Death Notes can't see each others life expectancies." Misa said, tilting her head in a confused manner. Kallen had to admit this girl had some strange mannerisms, and she stood up slowly, gazing to Ryuk. He shrugged and chuckled.

"_**Didn't know that..."**_ Kallen wanted to punch him so hard right now. She had bigger things to deal with rather than sit around and talk with someone else who was potentially a murderer. This girl, she was certainly trouble, especially if she kept Kallen from getting out of Aoyama and Shinjuku.

"You've got a shinigami too then, miss...?"

"Misa Amane! I'm so glad to have finally found you Kallen-san!" She hugged tight to Kallen as she reached into her satchel and removed her own Death Note. She placed it in Kallen's hands and yet another shinigami appeared before them. Both Ryuk and Rem towered over the two for a long period of time before Kallen gulped nervously. She now had another shinigami facing her, as above that she had a girl with her, err, young woman.

"Misa, right? Were you... planning on finding me?"

Misa nodded quickly. "Yes! I had sent clues to the police in the form of tapes and letters, but I guess I don't have a need to do it now that I have met you!" She went to hug Kallen again but Kallen held out her hand to stop her. Misa smiled instead and held her suitcase. "I was heading to a hotel I planned on staying at while I looked for Kira, perhaps you could come with me?"

Something thumped in Kallen's head and she held it as if it pained her greatly. She winced and turned her head upward to see that Misa had been doing it as well. Ryuk chuckled for some strange reason, but Rem actually looked concerned for Misa's well being.

"_**Misa... are you alright...?" **_The female shinigami asked and suddenly Kallen felt a weird burning on the upper portion of her arm. She clutched it tightly as Misa shrieked and held her lower back, right above her buttocks. Both girls winced in pain, Misa wailing about how much it was burning, but before either could check, they slowly faded along with their respective shinigami...


End file.
